Health and Social Care, Level 3 Apprenticeship

This Apprenticeship covers a wide range of job roles on two pathways: the adult social care pathway and the health care pathway. This could mean working in the NHS, the private sector, local authorities or in the voluntary sectors.

Social care is about helping people with a particular need, such as the disabled, the elderly or people with learning disabilities. This type of care usually takes place in the home or in care homes or out in the community, and can include anything from helping people get dressed to transporting them to and from a residential home or taking them shopping. As an apprentice in Social Care, you could be a personal care assistant helping someone in their everyday life.

On the Health Care pathway, you could work in hospitals, the community, hospices or private clinics as a healthcare support worker or a healthcare assistant. You could be supporting doctors or nurses or helping patients in hospital wards or their homes - serving food, making and changing beds and so on.

The qualifications you will gain as an apprentice are:
- Level 3 Diploma in Health and Social Care
- Level 3 Certificate in Preparing to Work in Adult Social Care
- Personal Learning and Thinking Skills
- Employment Responsibilities and Rights
- Functional Skills Level 2 Mathematics
- Functional Skills Level 2 English

What will I learn?

The Level 3 Diploma and Certificate course consists of 9 mandatory units and additional optional units that make a total of 58 credits. These include topics such as communication, health & safety, person centred approaches and safeguarding.

How will I be assessed?

This will be assessed using a range of methods including direct observation within the workplace, a portfolio of evidence, written assignments, questioning and witness testimony from your colleagues and managers.

As part of the apprenticeship framework, reviews are completed every 12 weeks by the assessor where progress is discussed by the apprentice, assessor and employer.

Career Opportunities

Supervisor, Team Leader, Senior Care Worker, Assistant Practitioner.

This is a national qualification, replacing NVQs in Health & Social Care and is recognised by employers in health care. Achievement of this national qualification may allow you to progress to a higher level qualification (Level 5 Diploma or the Foundation Degree in Health and Social Care) or get recognition for knowledge and skills in areas of specialist practice for example progressing onto Specialist qualifications in Dementia Care.

Entry requirements

You must be employed for a minimum of 30 hours a week in the professional area that your Apprenticeship is in (if you are looking for employment see below for information). The care environment can be in the public, private or voluntary sector and cover the full spectrum of care environments. You cannot have an existing qualification at a higher level than the Apprenticeship framework you have chosen. You need to be living in England and not taking part in full-time education.

When we have received your application, you will be interviewed by an assessor.

The qualification is aimed at those whose work involves doing things for clients and supporting clients to do things for themselves, in a wide range of settings. It will be relevant to:

Care Officer, Care Supervisor, Senior Care Worker or Supervising Care
Worker, Senior Support Worker, Relief Team Leader, Social Work Assistant, Social Services, Officer Outreach Development Worker, Community Support Worker, Outreach Worker, Community Development Worker, Family Support Workers, Personal Assistant

Looking for Employment? See below for what to do next…

- Apply for this apprenticeship. We can then support you to find employment and prepare your job application.

- Register your details with the National Apprenticeship Matching Service (NAS) and search online for vacancies at www.gov.uk/apply-apprenticeship

- Check the College’s website page regularly (sometimes employers only want to recruit locally and so they advertise on our website and not the NAS website): www.kendal.ac.uk/apprenticeships/apprentice/

- Make sure your CV is up to date and is relevant to the job industry you are applying to.

- Contact local businesses and see if they have any vacancies available.